


A Fire Lord's Forgetfulness

by astromirage



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Agni Kai (Avatar), Angst, Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), Blood, Childhood Trauma, Established Relationship, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Heavy Angst, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Husbands, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Minor Injuries, Protective Sokka (Avatar), Zuko's Scar (Avatar)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:07:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25412131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astromirage/pseuds/astromirage
Summary: Zuko sighs as he signs off a few official documents, rolling them up and setting them aside. He rubs his one seeing eye sleepily, yawning softly. He wishes he could sleep, but the newly reforming Fire Nation had a lot to, well reform. He takes a long, exhausted drink of his jasmine tea, opening up another document to read.orZuko hasn't slept in a while and he forgets self care.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 472





	A Fire Lord's Forgetfulness

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first atla work!!! zukka ftw, i hope I wrote this correctly, if anything is insensitive or wrong, correct me and I'll fix it!

Zuko sighs as he signs off a few official documents, rolling them up and setting them aside. He rubs his one seeing eye sleepily, yawning softly. He wishes he could sleep, but the still reforming Fire Nation had a lot to, well reform. He takes a long, exhausted drink of his jasmine tea, opening up another document to read. 

He yawns loudly and dramatically, this time rubbing both his eyes, flinching when his scar twinges in a dull ache. He gasps as the scar's tight skin splits in a few spots, causing pain to sear through his skin, he immediately reaches his hand back up to his scar. He stands up, staring at his bloody hand in horror. 

Suddenly he's back on the floor in front of his father, begging, pleading, to be spared. He's looking up in terror as his father's gentle touch of a hand turns into a vice grip melting his skin away. The tears he shed didnt help to extinguish the flames that moved over his left eye and ear. 

Zuko backs up, knocking his chair down in the process, falling onto his back, dragging the documents he was working on down with him, spreading them around. He slides a hand onto his left eye as blood drips between his nimble fingers. 

Zuko can't move except the violent heave of his chest and the panicked shake of his body. He closes his eyes only to see Ozai standing over him, he can hear his skin sizzle and his fellow Fire Nation citizens laugh at him, all except for Uncle. 

He gasps for air as he opens his eyes again, expelling the visuals of his abuser from his brain. He uses his free hand to grip onto his sleeves on the opposite hand. He feels red hot tears spill from his only working eye, trailing down his chin and catching onto the betrothal necklace Sokka carved for him. He grunts as the way he screws his face up makes the split skin burn and ooze more blood. He feels panic mixed with fatigue take full hold of his body and he can't move, he's splayed against the wood flooring limply. 

Just as his sobs kick up, someone opens the door and kneels next to him. 

"Zuko baby?" 

Sokka. His smooth, calming voice floods the room easily and Zuko feels a little better. Sokka furrows his brows and gently turns the slack man's head to face him, Zuko immediately tenses up at the touch but endures it as Sokka pulls his head into his lap. 

Sokka smiles sadly. "Zu, you need to move your hand."

Zuko bites his lip and nods, letting his hand fall away from the smeared bloody mess that is his eye. Sokka feels a wave of sadness drench him. 

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna clean you up."

Zuko is set back down just as gently as he would expect. He feels the blood dry on his hands and the thinner layers dry and settle into the ridges of his scar tissue. He sucks in his lower lip as he feels his body tremble with another sob. Tears begin dripping again and he feels his breathing become unstable once again. 

Sokka hears his almost silent cries float through the mostly quiet room and he hurries with getting water, a rag and the salve Zuko should be using to keep his scar hydrated and stop it from splitting like it did. 

"I'm coming, I'm sorry." he says loudly, hoping just the sound of his voice is enough to help him. 

Zuko lets out a cry that sounds like an 'Okay' 

He hurries in with the supplies and sets them down, once again setting Zuko's head in his lap. He works on getting the blood off his hand first and he does so gently as Zuko's silent cries die down to small sniffles and sad cry breathing sounds. 

"I'm going to touch your face now." Sokka says, looking down at a burnt out Zuko. 

He nods and Sokka gently swipes at the blood, rinsing the rag every so often. He tries his best to not feel like shit when Zuko tenses as he wipes it away. 

"When was the last time you used the salve baby?" 

"Don't remember." Zuko responds, flinching when water makes its way into the open wounds. 

"Come on Zu, you need to take better care of yourself." He says, wringing out the damp rag and setting the water and cloth aside. 

He pulls Zuko up, Zuko not surprised that his body hasn't gained back most of his motor functions. 

"This is gonna hurt, sorry." Sokka says, stroking his cheek bone softly with one hand and opening the salve with the other. 

"It's fine, darling, just do it." He says, his lips quirking into a sad smile. 

He lightly smears it on the red, irritated scar. Zuko immediately cringes and flinches away. 

"Did I press too hard?" 

"No, it just hurts, keep going." he confirms, taking Sokka's free hand in his, holding it tightly. 

He nods and finishes applying the salve, grunts of pain coming from the Fire Lord. 

"Okay," Sokka clears his throat, wiping the extra salve off his fingers with the rag. "Let me clean this up, then I'll get you to bed." 

"No, I have work to do." He insists, trying to stand up, body still loose and exhausted, before Sokka sets a calm hand on his chest. 

"No Zuko. You've overworked yourself to the point where you forgot to apply your salve, which you never do, and, you forgot to visit Uncle, which you never do. Let's go to bed." 

"Can we go see the turtleducks before we sleep?" Zuko asks, sitting up, taking both of Sokka's hands in his. 

He chuckles and leans forward, kissing him softly, he's too soft when Zuko mentions their turtleducks. "Yes, do you want any snacks? Some tea?" 

"Yes to both please, jasmine tea and fire flakes?" he queries, shakily standing up, Sokka coming with him. 

"I'll go get it. If uncle is up do you want him to brew the tea?" he asks, turning Zuko around, taking his long, silky hair down from the crown and topknot, inhaling the sweet scent of his locks. 

"No, don't bother him, let's do it ourselves. Let's hurry. I want to see them." He stretches out his legs, hoping they'd be strong enough to carry him. 

Sokka looks on as Zuko slowly walks out of the room and towards the kitchen. He notes the way Zuko self consciously looks at how long his hair is before leaving the room. 

He follows closely, making it into the kitchen after, seeing that his husband is already boiling water and getting out the tea. 

"Zu?" Sokka calls softly from his left side, Zuko not hearing him, due to his hearing loss. 

He carefully walks up to him, he looks sad and forlorn. "Zuko?" 

He jumps and turns to the water tribe man. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" He asks, sitting on the island beside where Zuko is munching on Fire Flakes. 

He falters and looks to his partner. "No." 

"What happened after your scar split?" 

Zuko stares at his hands, they're trembling, his knees are weak, he's so tired, he just wants rest. Sokka grabs onto him to stabilize him, pulling him onto the counter. 

"Every time I closed my eyes I saw 𝘩𝘪𝘮. He was standing over me, melting off my skin and everyone was laughing," he curls into his husband, tears escaping from his right eye. "it hurt so bad. The pain of it splitting wasn't as bad, but it just brought back so many memories. The blood and the pain and the blindness. I was so scared, it felt like I was on the floor of that Agni Kai room again. And I'm so tired because of what 𝘩𝘦 did to other nations, to this nation. It's been years and I'm still fixing everything." He voice catches and he grips Sokka's shirt tight, burying his face in his chest. 

Sokka sighs and massages the fire bender's scalp, kissing his forehead. 

"I'm sorry Zu. What your father did ran too deep, his genocides and crimes aren't going to be fixed quickly, but you knew that, everyone knows you're going to do it, you're doing just fine, you're doing amazing, buddy." he says, trying to cheer him up, he begins holding him tighter. 

They sit there, sobs dying into sniffs as Zuko kisses the pendant on the betrothal necklace he carved for Sokka. Zuko moves closer into his arms, trying his best to feel safe. Sokka tries his best to make him feel safe. 𝘈𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦.


End file.
